Product Description

Since its first publication in 1961 E.H. Carr's "What is History?" has established itself as the classic introduction to the subject. Ranging across topics such as historical objectivity, society and the individual, the nature of causation, and the possibility of progress, Carr delivered an incisive text that still has power to provoke debate today. For this fortieth anniversary reissue, Richard J. Evans has written an extensive new introduction that discusses the origins and the impact of the book, and assesses its relevance in the age of the 21st century postmodernism and epistemological anxiety.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40839 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Spectator
Carr, now proves himself to be ... one of the most valuable contributors to historical theory.

David Horspool, The Times Literary Supplement
'As a lively challenging view of the purpose of historical enquiry and the role of historian ...What is History? has yet to be bettered.'

Jonathan Haslam, Cambridge University
'…The new edition introduced by Professor Evans, a leading historian and an accomplished historiographer, provides an excellent insight into Carr's life and work.'

Customer Reviews

thought provoking - even if you don't agree.
Anyone interested in the (currently much disputed) philosophical issues surrounding the study of history should read this one. Carr doesn't sit on the fence - instead makes his position clear and with a refreshingly simple and easy (though nontheless articulate) use of language which is sadly missing from other work in this area of discussion.

A classic of Historiography
I have always been interested in the theoretical side of history and this remains one of the best books to start with. It has been a few years since I was at University, but this used to be a set text for first year undergraduates, in order to give them some understanding of the 'history of history'. Carr's text is highly readable and his analogies very useful - ie. thinking of historians as merely individuals in a very long, winding procession of people through a mountainous valley - looking back at events going on further back in the queue, their views differing according to whereabouts in the procession he or she was at the time. Still a great starting point for an often complex subject.

Thought-provoking
Very intuitive and inspiring. Carr manages to raise questions of many a historian, and concludes by providing his own 'philosophical' slant on the answers. Worth reading if one wishes to broaden their understanding.